His Butler Mortal
by TeamSuperDynamiteWolfSquadrant
Summary: A century after the events of Kuroshitsuji 2, Sebastian and Ciel still walk the human world, unable to return. But when a bomb devestates NY City, Sebastian wakes to find his master missing. Will he save himself and let the boy suffer and die, or will he die for him to live? When all is lost, it will take unexpected allies, to find out what the ultimate sacrifice will be. R18
1. That Butler: Numb

The day was cold. Clouds loomed high above, threatening to rain down upon the hundreds of people below. Ciel Phantomhive had been a demon for well over a century now. His body was still that of a thirteen year old boy, and he himself had barely changed. After all these years, he was still the same. Still the irritated earl with an unhealthy aptitude for games of a malicious sort. But someone had changed. As the pair walked through the crowded streets of New York, having been here for a year now, the once upon a time earl looked up to the man beside him. Sebastian Michaelis. His butler. Despite his casual clothing, he was still the boy's faithful pawn, tied down by his final order, and the contract between them.

But since that day, he hadn't been the demon the boy had known. Decade after decade, Ciel waited to hear witty come backs, or something to make him uncomfortable. Sad as it was, the Sebastian he'd known for only two years was the one he wanted back. Not an emotionless lump that had been at his side for the past hundred or so years.

Day in, day out. "Good morning master." "Yes master." "Goodnight master."

He rarely heard anything else from the demon's lips. If he required human needs once more, he'd order him around making endless deserts and tea so he'd hear what was on the menu tonight. Or wherever this particular blend of earl Grey originated from.

But it wasn't just his personality, or demeanour. Something else… Something else about Sebastian was just off. Like someone putting a black glass dome over a candle. You can see the light through the glass. Feel the glass warm quickly at the flame. Yet it doesn't provide the light the room needs. Not a single flicker of it. Leaving you in the dark.

Everything. Everything Sebastian was now scared Ciel. And every night, after Sebastian bid him good night, he'd pull a mirror out from under his pillow and double check to see if the mark was still there. To his relief, it was. It marred his features. But it was a part of him. He couldn't lose it. Not the mark. Or his emotionless butler. But he told himself every day, that he'd get that snide demon back. Even if it was only a few moments before his death.

As his mind drifted in and out of these thoughts, Ciel walked with the elder male, down undercover from the light rain that had begun to fall, planning to catch a train through the subway. They never had a specific destination these days. However, Ciel had wanted to visit the local museum. He'd heard about some artefacts that were supposedly there. But on sight he could tell they were all cheap rip offs, hardly worth the time.

Milling with the crowd, the young demon, ran a hand through his hair as they awaited the train. But something was off. Well… Something was always off. But something seemed really wrong at the moment. Like a pane of distorted glass was in front of his eyes. Frowning slightly, he turned to look at Sebastian. He looked the same as ever. Odd, he usually knew something was wrong before Ciel did.

Before he could say something however, they could all hear the train not far down the track, and everyone prepared to board. But the train didn't sound like it was slowing down. And through the tunnels, steadily growing louder as the train neared, were hundreds of screams.

Above them, above the ground, there was a high pitched whistle, which finally caught the butler's attention. He looked up, despite the ceiling, as if that would provide the answers. And then, there was a roar of screams of terror, as if the whole city was in a fit of terror above them.

Sebastian's eyes went wide briefly, before within the same second, he tackled Ciel under the stairwell that lead up to the surface, just as the train entered the terminal, just as there was a below base boom.

There was intense heat. Fire and blasting wind. The carriages of the train were ripped up off the tracks and thrown about. One carriage was picked up by the blast, seeming to hang in the air momentarily, before it came down with a crash and crunch, crushing the stairs.

And then all that Sebastian knew after that moment was the deep compression of the mind numbing black.

/

He didn't know that it had been three days when the lights shone through the rubble. To him it felt like only minutes had passed.

Frowning as the light shone in his eyes, Sebastian' raised a hand to shield them. And as the last piece of rubble was tossed aside, a hard gloved hand snapped around his wrist, a different person holding his other as they pulled him to his feet roughly.

"We found one."

The man to his left called out. He was wearing some new military uniform or something.

"He's not worth keeping. He'll probably waste away before we even need 'im." The other soldier said before their superior, who was obviously so due to the badges on his chest, stepped forward.

"No. He wants them all."

That was the last the demon heard before the hard hilt of a gun helped him greet the black again. The last thing he saw, was a bloody eye patch lying on the ground a few feet away. And then he was gone.


	2. That Butler: Unexpected

The salty, metallic taste of blood filled the air. The potency of it was almost nauseating. Even for him. Sebastian knelt in the centre of a cell block; presumably it had been a mental asylum at one stage, for there wasn't even a tiny barred window to let the light in. Pity.

His hands were held down against his knees by a chain and cuffs, not particularly strong ones, but strong enough to bruise his wrists when he'd tugged against them. Three other men stood in the room around him. Two guards by the door; and a rather, how shall he put it, creative interrogator?

A sticky red trail of his on blood ran down from his hair line, matting the raven strands in places, down to his chin, where to its own rhythm, splashed off of his arm, drop by brilliant ruby drop. He was in pain all over, but no matter the occasion, he could always stop to admire the brilliance of life blood.

He hadn't spoken since arriving here. When he did hear what he was asked, he blatantly showed his ignorance. And other times, it kind of just flew right over his head. It was dull and really, not worth the effort it took to roll an answer off his tongue. However as of late, his boredom was making him… well… a tad bit cocky. Whether he died from it or not, he wanted to toy with them just a wee bit.

"Where is the ring?! Tell us everything you know!" The interrogator spat, yanking his head back at what could possibly be a perfect ninety degree angle, all by the strands of his hair.

Sebastian smirked, albeit painfully, and let out a low chuckle. "Alright… I'll tell you everything."

"Finally. We're making progress."

Once the revolting man let him go, he cleared his throat lightly and swallowed.

"There once was a woman from Q. Who filled her vagina with glue. She said with a grin that they'll pay to get in. But they'll pay to get out of it too." (If you get this… I love you.)

All that achieved was a nice old boot to the head. Hissing at the pain, he spat blood at their feet. The barrel of a gun was pressed against his head and he let loose his most steely glare to the holder of the firearm.

"I've had enough of this-" he began… before something changed. He lost his sentence with a deformed shriek, his body beginning to twitch madly as he let the gun fall to his side. The guard gurgled screams, as if he were drowning, clawing at his own face before there was a load crack, and he gained a cool, calm composure he hadn't had before.

The man's lips curled in a cruel smirk, his eyes flashing the trademark magenta all demons had. And in the blink of an eye, he'd put a bullet in the other guard's head, pink bits of goo and tiny fragments of skull sliding down the wall behind. Before the body had even dropped, the deranged guard had turned on the interrogator, and in one fell swipe, tore out his throat, letting him die an instant, yet silent death.

And then, in likeness to the dizzy haze above a flame that distorts an image, the room seemed to shudder before the guard screamed again, his voice echoing in on itself as he fell to his knees. Upon the impact is body distorted, expanding, cracking ribs, before returning to its original form. And then he exploded, unidentifiable chunks of flesh and bone raining across the room.

Sebastian had had enough sense to cover his face in time, but felt the spray of blood and clumps shower his body. It was rather revolting, even for him.

When it was silent, he peeked over his arm lightly, before looking up slightly. Before him stood a man, dressed in black, as he'd last seen him, yet with a red smoke rising up off of his form.

"I thought I smelled a rat." He remarked, unsure of whether to feel grateful or dread what was to come.

"Surely you can put that all aside for now Michaelis." The cool, collected voice chided as he ran his hands through his hair, adjusting his glasses as he did so, golden eyes mocking him behind the panes of glass. "That is no way to speak to your saviour."


	3. That Butler: Escape

Cautious red eyes remained trained on the not quite transparent figure. Claude Faustus. Back from the dead… Well… not quite. He was lacking in body. He wasn't sure how to react, just sat there in his chains, watching him as if he was about to blow his brains out too.

"Well~ You're free Michaelis~ Break your bonds already." The 'ghost-not quite a ghost' said, a brow raised, before his ever observant eyes flickered down to the other demon's hands, a clear expression of his amusement crossing his features. "Oh you can't, can you~" He chided.

"Shut up!" Sebastian snapped, not liking this defenceless feeling at all.

"Really~ I never thought I'd see the day you'd be painting your nails to hide the truth~"

"…"

"How long has it been since your last soul~?" Claude taunted, though Sebastian gave no answer at first.

But then, a hesitant sigh before he reluctantly told him. "Eight years. A hitch hiker I picked while Ciel slept."

"And when was your master's last soul~?"

"… That is none of your concern."

"Very well~ Though, if you don't want to die, you'll have to kill him in the end~" The other demon said with a smirk. It was strange. Last time he'd seen the demon, there had been barely an expression. Now, he'd seemed to have grown fond of cold facades and cruel smiles.

"Just.. shut up, and get me the key."

"As you wish, your highness~" There was a snigger and Claude disappeared for a moment. Sebastian almost thought he'd completely left when there was a chink, and in front of his hand, just within reach, sat a key. Cutting his wrist on the cuff, he managed to get it out before struggling to get the cuffs off.

Sighing, he dropped the key and stood, taking a moment to walk over to a basin of water and wash his face from the dried and fresh blood, hands too… stopping to stare at his hands. The mark was still there, plain as day. But little flecks of black were all that remained on his nails. The past twenty years had been hard when it came to concealing his fingers. He was all to grateful when black nail polish first came on market. He couldn't let Ciel know. Not now. Not ever…

… Ciel… What was he going to do now… He'd seen the eye patch, covered in blood. Ciel was alive, because the mark still marred his hand, but what had happened to him.

"Stop daydreaming and let's get out of here." Claude interrupted his thoughts, making him hiss lightly before he gathered up some things. First of all, a thick bullet proof vest which fit pretty good. He kicked his shoes off and replaced them with boots, doing up the laces swiftly, and then weapons. Knives, a few hand guns, and a rifle. It was the best he had for now. Silverware wasn't an option anymore.

"Ready? Or do you need to pick another dress?"

"Shut up, and show me the way out. You can be a smart arse later." Sebastian growled, already heading down the first hall, rifle cocked and ready to fire should one of his captors suddenly come around the corner.

They walked for about ten minutes or so, ducking around corners and keeping a close eye out. So far so good. Until Claude walked on, oblivious to the fact that Sebastian couldn't walk straight through a locked mesh door. Sebastian raised a brow and looked at the other, clearing his throat. "Hello~ I'm not un-dead like you."

He stated. Claude stopped and looked at the door a moment before making an irritated sound. Apparently he didn't enjoy being hampered down by the other. Which only confused Sebastian more. He'd been set free by someone who couldn't stand being near him. That was great. Just abso-fucking-lutely great. Apparently, Claude didn't want to waste time looking for a key. He reach through the mesh and wrapped his hand around the lock, until molten metal was all that remained and it dropped to the floor like some sort of viscous liquid, already beginning to cool as the air hit it. The door swung opened and Sebastian stepped through, muttering his thanks.

A few silent hallways later, and they came into a warehouse like room, boxes upon boxes stacked to the ceiling. There was a shot, and a bullet passed straight through Claude, puncturing the wall behind him. He snarled and was off in a wisp of red smoke, moving through to the other side of the room where he took a hold of a soldier's body, starting to attack from behind.

Sebastian ducked behind some boxes, leaning around the corner and firing off a few shots. He might not be the same as he used to be, but he hadn't spent hundreds of years developing his talents for nothing. Impeccable aim as always earned him three strangled cries, followed by thumps as the bodies hit the floor.

At the other end, he hear more tortured cries and a loud crack. The splash of blood and meat covering the ground told him Claude had finished with the rest. Sebastian came out from his cover and eyed the dead men that littered the warehouse floor. It had been a long time since he had seen this much slaughter. Ignoring the nausea in his gut, telling himself he of all people shouldn't feel such things, he went over a few of the more recognisable corpse, pulling from them ammunition, which he stood in an over the shoulder bag before nodding at Claude. Now that the first lot of Soldiers had come at them, it would be best to remain silent, unless noise was required.

They moved through the building, encountering small groups of armed men which Sebastian let Claude take out since the gunshots would cause too much noise.

Eventually, they came to a long hallway. They could see the light at the end of it, promising daylight and fresh air. Claude took off ahead, it was a straight shot to freedom from these tightly packed hallways. Sebastian was right behind him. Almost there.

Then out of nowhere, a large mass of shadow, passed through Claude and tackled Sebastian against a wall, he dropped his gun, hands instinctively going to the hand at his neck as he kicked out with his feet, hitting solid, immoveable mass within the shadow. As his head started to pound, depraved of oxygen and blood, he stared into the bright red eyes, glowing maliciously as they stared back.

_Don't speak._

The voice hit his head like a freight train but he obeyed it. He didn't know why, but he let his feet hang, inches off the ground, even stopping trying to breathe. Just looking. And then his eyes caught something. And in that instant. He landed on the ground and the beast was gone. Once he'd regained his breath, he frowned and looked around, before throwing caution to the wind and stepping forward. It was a grotty flier half stuck to the wall. Most of the picture had faded away, but he plucked it off the wall and pocketed it anyway. Then he adjusted his bag and turned to see Claude, rather irritated, in his face.

"What do you think you are doing? I'm supposed to bring you with me. I don't want to turn around every five minutes to find you're off doing your own thing." The demon spat.

"I was attacked. No thanks to you."

"There was no one in the hall. Your pathetic state is making you weak in mind as well as body."

He could have fought back. But he really didn't have the energy to at the moment. So, like a scolded child, he merely followed the brusque Claude out of the building into a shanty kind of town, broad daylight hitting them. He shielded his eyes from the glare. Being in the dark so long, his eyes were kind of sensitive, but it didn't take long for them to adjust. Hey, at least he had that going for him.

The walked, maybe half an out, through alleyways and abandoned houses before Sebastian stopped and sat down on a half destroyed stairwell. Claude turned and frowned, walking back a few metres to look at him. But when he saw blood dripping from the hem of the other's pants and splashing off the toe of his boot, his frowned lessened slightly.

"What happened?"

"… I was hit in the warehouse." He said simply, leaning on the rail. He was exhausted as hell. And that in itself was amusing, slightly.

There was a moment of silence, before Claude gestured to the other to get up. "Come on. We're nearly there."

He said and turned, starting to walk again. With a sigh, Sebastian pulled himself up and started to follow him again. He hated this.

Only ten minutes later, Claude changed direction, heading out of the slums and into a field where it was his turn to stop walking, but like he was waiting for something. Looking up at the sun, he frowned before nodding to himself. "Noon. On the dot."

"What are you on about?" Sebastian asked. Claude didn't answer, the low hum of an engine made his ears pricked, and when he looked up, there saw a blue, rather banged up old ute. It pulled up a few metres away, and when he saw who jumped out of the car, Sebastian swore he was hallucinating for real this time.

"Alois?"

The blonde boy gave a relieved smile? What was this? Sebastian didn't know what to do. He half stepped back half froze as the boy trotted up and gave him a brief embrace before turning to Claude. "Thankyou. Good job Claude."

"He's hurt." The half transparent male said, an estranged look flashing across his eyes. Sebastian didn't notice. He still hadn't fully comprehended Claude being back. But at least he was some frigging ghost or whatever. Alois was completely alive. Solid, breathing and with a pulse. He was snapped out of his thoughts by a hand on his arm and looked down to see the blonde.

"Get in the car. We can go somewhere safer and get your wounds cleaned." He said.

Really… after everything that had been thrown at him today, Sebastian didn't want to question anything. He just nodded and climbed into the passenger seat. Just before he closed the door, Claude walked up and dropped something in his hand.

"I found this when I was searching the place." He said before stepping back and closing the door, and through the rear view mirror, Sebastian saw him climb into the back of the ute. A ghost that used transport. Wow.

Alois climbed into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. He technically old enough to drive, having been born in the eighteen hundreds and all. And the red eyed male couldn't care less. He wasn't being beaten to death. And that was definitely a plus.

Frowning slightly, he looked down at the object his rescuer had given him. It was Ciel's eye patch. It had one of those silly evidence tags stapled to it, but he pulled that off and ran his thumb over the leather. What was he going to do now?

/

Hours later, sun having set, the blue ute pulled up outside an old farmhouse. White paint fading and half the windows boarded up. Alois yawned and sigh, rubbing his eye as he pocketed the key. Beside him, Sebastian was asleep, leaning against the door.

He remembered waking up on a beach somewhere a few months ago. Alone. He remembered dying. And then Hannah taking his soul. He thought, if he kept walking, maybe he'd find Luka. He had been with him before he let the black enshroud him. But three days past, and he found Claude, passed out in a field. Despite the past, he'd run over and tried to wake him up. But on touch, his hands were badly burned.

His cries of pain had woken the demon, but when he tried to help, well… Alois' arms were covered in burns. There had been so much blood. Eventually, he'd seen two lights in the darkness, and people ask what was going on. Alois himself didn't know. But he hissed at Claude to hide.

He spent three days in hospital where they treated the burns. But when he tried to leave, they said he couldn't without a parent or guardian. In the end, after he'd struggled against them, some men took him away to an orphanage. They said they'd find him some foster parents. But on the first night there, biting on his lip to stop himself from crying, he climbed down the lattice that was near his window, and left. He found his way back to the field, and sure enough, Claude was there.

They'd been on the move ever since, dodging authorities, learning what they could about this time. And then the blast happened.

Claude had shielded him somehow. But after things calmed down, well… the world had changed in those moments. The sky had been red for what seemed forever. Coming to the country, he couldn't of been happier to see blue skies and fields. They'd found this house. Cleared out and burnt the bodies. Every few days, they ventured out so Alois could find food and water.

Then one day, while in the shanty village, giant army trucks rolled in. They were transporting a prisoner. "_The last prison got overrun by Screamers"_ He'd heard one of the men lining the road say to another. He hadn't seen the prisoner. But he told Claude to stay and find out what he could. Every day the demon returned saying he'd heard the soldiers saying many things, but little about the prisoner. Mostly things like, _"Wish this bastard would hurry up and talk, so we can be done with it."_ And _ "All this for one man."_

But after a week of prowling, he returned with information that was useful. One of the prisoner's personal guards was out on a smoke break, complaining to his companions. He boasted about one good kick he'd given their captive. Swore he heard the first indication of pain since they'd captured him. More average information. But then, _"But, I don't like being in there. No matter what, that guy is calm as can be, or he just… stares at you. The whole, do your worst look. But man, those eyes. It's like the blood of the devil himself."_

Red eyes. Not much to go on. But it was a chance worth taking. Sebastian Michaelis had been their enemy in the past, but he was sure that that could be put aside. Besides, if it hadn't been him, Claude had been ordered to end his life quickly and leave.

But it had been him. And maybe because they'd helped him, he'd help them… help Claude. Though that was a long shot. First thing's first. Sebastian was wounded and if he stayed out here, he'd freeze. What with winter only a few weeks away. This wasn't going to be easy…


	4. That Butler: Shadows

_Before him there was a long winding path through the trees. He couldn't see very far as a thick mist crawled it's way along, hiding things, leaving only shadows and whispers of shadows. Briefly he wandered if this is what it felt like to be blind. Your very vision suffocated, and you could do nothing about it. _

_And then, out of nowhere, he heard a child's laughter. A whisper… and echo of a whisper. Barely dancing past his ears. He spun around, trying to locate the owner of the laughter when he saw a shadow dart through some trees. A young boy perhaps. _

"_Master…?" He said, more to himself than anyone. But he took a few steps forward, cautious and hesitant…. And then he saw the boy's shadow passed straight ahead once more, and he started to run after it. "Master!" He called out, trees shooting past with the speed he took in his efforts to reach the boy. _

_And then the root of a tree lashed out, ALIVE! It caught his foot, and he would have tripped, if not for the branch that caught his hand. Another root. Another branch, and for all his struggling he could not pull any one of his limbs free._

_He cursed under his breath, when a shadow, another shadow, appeared at the end of the path. His eyes widened briefly, before he started to pull harder against his restraints. It was the shadow from before. If anything, he didn't want to be vulnerable to this thing. But his bonds wouldn't loosen, instead tightening and cutting into his wrists, cutting into the skin._

_The shadow creature came closer, slowly, one step at a time. But the time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. It stood before the butler, staring down at him with those glowing red eyes._

_He froze. He was… for the first time…. In … for as long as he could remember, afraid. He was terrified. But he couldn't take his eyes off of the shadow._

"Why were you calling for your master~?" _It didn't have a voice perse. Yet it seemed to speak those words to the captured male. _"Why do you still seek to save him?"

"… _I…" Sebastian didn't know. He truly didn't. "… Who are you?" He asked, trying to find some way to humanize this thing. It was stupid. He should have to find a way to quell his fear. He shouldn't have to feel fear in the first place. _

_But no matter. The beast didn't answer. Instead… a hideously clawed hand shot out and buried itself in the butler's chest. His eyes widened in shock as he felt the sharp fingers wrap around his heart, squeezing, before getting a firm grip and tearing it out of his chest. _

_The moment the hand left his body, the branches and roots released him, and he fell to the ground with a thud, staring off into the fog, unable to speak. Unable to scream. But he saw the boy's shadow run off again. And then all went black._

/

Sebastian shot upright, eyes snapping open as he woke from… whatever that was. What had that been? A nightmare? A dream? He didn't have a clue. It… had felt so real.

Eventually, he began to realize he was inside some kind of room… in a bed, frayed curtains letting fractions of light through the boarded up windows. Swallowing, he looked down at his hands, to see they were shaking slightly. Clenching he teeth, he balled his hands into fists.

The main point was. He wasn't in that cell anymore. Or that hallway. Or in that creepy forest. He was… somewhere. And safe for now. Or at least he wanted to believe he was safe. Wincing slightly, he pulled back the blankets. He was in his underwear, which was embarrassing. AS HELL. He didn't really like being exposed, ever. But he supposed that was the only way whoever it was could have fixed up that wound on his leg. It wasn't the best, but fairly neat stitching sealed a deep graze. It might have been a graze. But the bullet still passed through skin and he had been bleeding excessively because of it.

Tracing his thumb over it lightly, he winced. It hurt, obviously. But it was bearable. So he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and looked around before finding fresh clothes in a drawer. They must have belonged to the previous owner of this house. But it was good enough for Sebastian. A pair of Cargo pants that fit well. But the black long sleeved shirt was a little baggy. He'd probably been some buff guy… or he'd had a beer gut.

Again, Sebastian didn't care. It was better than being naked. The boots he'd pulled off the dead soldier were on a chair, cleaned of the blood that had stained them earlier. He pulled them on too, tucking the bottom of the legs of the pants into the boots before lacing them up.

There was nothing else of his in the room… besides Ciel's eye patch. He tied it around his wrist, the patch on the underside, and he tied multiple knots with the string so it wouldn't slip off. And then he left the room…. Wandering the house cautiously. Finding no one upstairs, he started he head down when Alois came around the corner, looking up at him with surprise before smiling a little. "Where are you going?"

Sebastian frowned slightly, before descending the last few steps and walking past him. "To find Ciel. He is still my master. I'm still the Phantomhive butler." He said, front door in sights.

"You're injured." Claude's voice emanated within the room as he appeared, standing beside Alois. "Injured and mortal. And the world is going through the end days."

"End Days or not, he is still my master. He is alive. It is my duty to stay by his side until the very end."

The once dead demon stepped forward, the red the smoked off of him brightening slightly as he shot a glare to the other.

"Perhaps you fail to realize what the boy is to you. He is your master. But in the end, he'll take your soul. The tables have turned Michaelis. This time, you're the prey."

Sebastian clenched his jaw, eyes narrowed as he glared straight into the golden eyes of the other. Anything could have happened. But then, Alois spoke up.

"Sebastian. I only stitched your wound last night. Give it until tomorrow morning. We'll all go then." He said before turning to Claude before there could be any form of protest. "I was lucky that you came back too. Even if it's like this. Ciel has had Sebastian since before we met them. He's not used to being alone. And I don't want to be left alone. And if the world's to end. I don't want to die again, holed up in some old house. I want to be out there, doing something that's worth it. Trying to make a change, even if small." The blonde said, staring at both the butlers before the spider demon sighed and adjusted his glasses, though as the rest of his form, they didn't need adjusting at all.

"Alright… at dawn tomorrow."

Sebastian sighed to himself. It looked like he had no choice now. Damn.

/

Ciel Phantomhive opened his eyes slowly, to naught but a white light above him, and complete black around him. A room of nothing. Confusion rattled his brain and with a groan, forced his stiff joints to move as he sat up. He was completely naked, a white sheet covering his privates, he lay on a metal slab, shivering, he looked around, letting his eyes adjust before a chair came into focus, A plain chair, with a pile of clothes on it.

Slipping off of the slab, he stumbled over to the chair and pulled the white shirt and black slacks on immediately, wanting to hide his shame immediately. Yet the second he had the second item of clothing on, lights snapped on all over the room.

There were doctors. Hundreds of doctors lining the walls. All in white coats, masks on their faces and shadows hiding their eyes from him. Upon their appearance, he jumped back, against the metal slab, mismatched eyes wide with fright. It was just like before. So many faces… taunting him. He shook slightly, knuckles white as he balled his hands into fists.

"Oh my~ No need to be so frightened~"

The voice smooth and cool, made him spin around. It was a man he'd never seen before. Backing away slowly. "Who are you?"

"Oh? Don't you recognize me~ Perhaps I should refresh your memory~"


	5. That ButlerClawing

Sebastian paced the room. He had been pacing almost nonstop, when the pain in his leg allowed him. This was unbearable. He hated waiting. It just made him feel like that there was a deadline, and if he was restricted from doing what he needed to, then he would be late. And Sebastian Michaelis hated being late. But not only that, he had two sets of eyes following him constantly. Alois Trancy's icy gaze irritated because he wouldn't sit still and rest his leg. Naturally, Sebastian ignored him. And then Claude's stone cold glare followed by insults and jibes about how his constant moving was aggravated. But in Sebastian's opinion, Claude was technically dead, so he ignored him too.

Eventually, as the night wore on, he stopped pacing, and sat hunched in a chair, half way to dream land. He hated this too. This weak, human part. As demon, sleep was a luxury. As a human, it was a necessity. And he didn't like things when they were something that he absolutely had to do. Yet on the stroke of midnight, he let Alois convince him that bed was a good idea and he returned to the room he had awoken in that morning, dressing down to his underwear (because sleeping in clothes was improper in his mind), before sprawling across the mattress. Letting his mind and body calm down, he finally realized how hot it was. Humid. Muggy. Thick. Signs that a terrible storm was brewing.

_Sebastian found himself standing on the porch of an old, worn house. The white paint on the wooden walls was cracked, and chipping away, showing the many untended years it had endured.  
He was looking up at the door from a miniscule perspective. It was a giant door. There was no way he could reach the handle. But below, just the right size, there was a doggy door. _

_Just great. He had never imagined he would have to stoop to this. He looked over his shoulder at the scenery at behind him. From the stairs of the porch, there was a dirt path. It lead into a forest. The same forest as before, filled with the same coiling tendrils of fog. No. No. No, no, no, no, no. He remembered what would happen if he went in there. _

_With a sigh, he approached the doggie door and got down on all fours, crawling through, a weight sinking in his gut. He just hoped that damned shadow wasn't inside ready to lop his head off. Swallowing, he stood up almost immediately once inside. And blinked. And looked around. Everything was normal sized once more. Cursing under his breath, he began to walk through the house, looking, and calling out quietly. His instinct told him. Ciel was here. Keep looking. So he did._

"_Master?" He whispered, opening doors, wary and ready to run for it should that creature appear. Once he'd searched downstairs, he frowned and began to walk upstairs, flinching when he heard the third stair creak loudly underfoot. Gritting his teeth, he walked along the upstairs hallways. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In the last room, a child's room he found nothing. Frustrated and disappointed, he sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his temples. "Where are you…?" He asked aloud. _

_As if in answer, he heard a board creak down the end of the hall. He jumped up, about to run out of the room. That had to be Ciel. But before he could move, something grabbed his ankle with a vice grip and pulled him down. He cried out as his chin hit the floor and he jarred his teeth. The thing gripped his ankle harder and he heard a snap, but felt no pain. None the less he cried out as he was being slowly pulled under the bed into the shadow. He knew that's what it was. This shadow. Someone was singing. A child. No older than seven. Over and over again, the same words, like a chant. _

"_Children are smart. They fear the dark. Children are smart. They fear the dark." _

_He clenched his aching jaw, ignoring the chill that ran up his spine as he dug his fingers into the carpet, and fought to pull himself out. The more progress he made, the more the grip on his ankle tightened. The strain was almost unbearable. But he was almost free. Almost completely out of the dark. The window cast a patch of pure light onto the floor in front of him. If he could reach that, he'd be safe. _

_Just as his fingers reached within an inch of it, there were a pair of feet, in his vision, just off to the side. His eyes widened and he looked up. _

"… _Master…" He said, almost not believing it._

"_You're pathetic." The boy said and before Sebastian could do or say anything, he felt the hard toe of the boy's shoe collide with his jaw, and faster than before, he lost his grip on the carpet and was pulled under, the light disappearing from sight. He heard Ciel laugh and someone's screams of agony echo in his ears. His own tortured screams._

Sebastian sat upright, instantly greeted with the sad sight of his temporary room. Shuddering slightly, he looked around, before catching his reflection in the mirror. He was covered in sweat, dishevelled and skin paler than usual, almost in a sickly way. Swallowing, he drew his knees up to his chest and held them close. It wasn't even near dawn. He couldn't have been asleep more than an hour. He didn't want to go back to sleep.

Feeling something warm, and wet, slide down his cheek before dripping off of his chin, he cursed lightly and wiped it away. Was this what it felt like to be human? To be weak and afraid? All he could remember were the last moments as one. Before becoming a demon. If this was the reverse process, he decided instantly that this was more excruciating than losing one's humanity. Instead of losing oneself, you get yourself back. And it weighed painfully heavy on his heart.

/

It was around six in the morning. Alois had been awake since Five. He wanted to leave early to cover as much ground as possible. But after an hour of waiting, Sebastian still hadn't come down. He had been so restless. The blonde would have thought he would have been down here waking him up. Claude who was watching him, seem to pick up on what he was thinking, and with a single silent nod, made his way upstairs.

Sometimes Claude could muster enough solidity to move objects. But if a door wouldn't open for him. He either walked right through it, or destroyed it. Either way worked for him. Today, he walked through the old treated pine door, shuddering to himself. He didn't like the feeling of objects passing through his form, but it was quick and easy. And right now he didn't feel like taking the long way around things.

Once he stepped into the room however, he did not expect to see Sebastian in the middle of the bed, knees up against his chest with his arms around them, his cheek resting on his knee as he slept, shadows under his eyes. He was exhausted. Though he knew, that if they let him sleep the day away, Alois would be happy, but Sebastian would throw a fit and walk out when he did wake up. He personally didn't care. But it had been important to Alois to bring him here to them. So for Alois, he was willing to deprive the other male of sleep. Not bothering to call his name to wake him, the spider touched the sleeping male's shoulder, no solidity required as almost instantly, Sebastian snapped and awake and recoiled, glaring at him as his shoulder now held a bright red mark.

"What the hell?!"

"You were sleeping. This was quicker. It's time to go. Get dressed." Four short sentances and that was it. Claude left the room and Sebastian sighed, frowning as he looked at his shoulder. It had burnt like hell, and now it stung lightly. He made a mental note not to shake Claude's hand or turn into super mush and hug him or anything. Well, it was an extra reason not to anyway. The first being that he was a revolting bug.

Washing his face in the bathroom quickly, he got dressed, lacing his boots before heading down stairs, walking straight past Claude and to the door, saying a quick good morning to Alois.

"All ready to go?" The blonde asked, bouncing on his toes.

Sebastian raised a brow as he looked at him. With a nod, he reached for the handle to the door, pulling the door open and letting the light flood in. Yes. He was ready to face this, end of days. He was ready to get Ciel back. And he was, above all… ready to die.


End file.
